diff --git a/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/BackendCommands.scala b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/BackendCommands.scala
index 52af364d..4417adb0 100644
--- a/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/BackendCommands.scala
+++ b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/BackendCommands.scala
@@ -121,6 +121,12 @@ private[backend] class BackendCommands[F[_]: Sync](
       case ItemAction.SetName(name) =>
         logger.debug(s"Set name '$name' on item ${item.id} for $collective") *>
           itemOps.setName(item, name, collective).void
+
+      case ItemAction.SetDate(date) =>
+        logger.debug(s"Set date $date on item ${item.id} for $collective") *>
+          itemOps
+            .setItemDate(Nel.of(item), date.some, collective)
+            .void
     }
 
   def runAttachAction(
diff --git a/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/bc/ItemAction.scala b/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/bc/ItemAction.scala
index 16a09048..f84e5dc5 100644
--- a/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/bc/ItemAction.scala
+++ b/modules/common/src/main/scala/docspell/common/bc/ItemAction.scala
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 package docspell.common.bc
 
-import docspell.common.Ident
+import docspell.common.{Ident, Timestamp}
 
 import io.circe.generic.extras.Configuration
 import io.circe.generic.extras.semiauto.{deriveConfiguredDecoder, deriveConfiguredEncoder}
@@ -99,4 +99,10 @@ object ItemAction {
 
   implicit val jsonDecoder: Decoder[ItemAction] = deriveConfiguredDecoder
   implicit val jsonEncoder: Encoder[ItemAction] = deriveConfiguredEncoder
+
+  case class SetDate(date: Timestamp) extends ItemAction
+  object SetDate {
+    implicit val jsonDecoder: Decoder[SetDate] = deriveDecoder
+    implicit val jsonEncoder: Encoder[SetDate] = deriveEncoder
+  }
 }